we're on air. So, I'm going to go ahead and call to order the regular meeting of the Oakdale City Council April 28th, 2026. Sarah, will you please take the roll? Council member Moore? Here. Council member Morcom? Here. Council member Sieverson? Here. Council member Reich? Here. Mayor Zabel? Here. Please join me for the Pledge of Allegiance.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. First up tonight, approval of the agenda. Can I get a motion to approve
the agenda as amended? So moved. There's a motion. Is there a second? Second. Motion and second. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? And the agenda is adopted. Uh let's move into approving uh set the meeting minutes. Two sets in front of us tonight. First up, workshop from April 14th, 2026. Council members,
any changes or corrections here? I'll look for a motion. I'll move as presented. Motion. Uh is there a second? Second. Motion and second. Any comments? All those in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? And the minutes are adopted. Last on the list, regular meeting minutes April 14th, 2026. Any
changes or corrections here? Seeing none, can I get a motion? So moved. There's a motion. Is there a second? Second. Motion and second. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? And the minutes are adopted. No public hearings in front of us tonight, so we'll move into open forum. First things first, we have two
proclamations that I will be signing tonight. Uh first up, recognizing building safety month safety month. Whereas Oakdale is committed to recognizing that our growth and strength depends on the safety and essential roles our homes, buildings, and infrastructure play both in everyday life and when disaster strikes.
And whereas our confidence in the resilience of these buildings that make up our community is achieved through the devotion of vigilant guardians, building safety and fire prevention officials, architects, engineers, builders, trades people, uh design professionals, laborers, plumbers, and others in the
construction industry. And whereas these guardians are dedicated members of the International Code Council, a nonprofit that brings together local, state, territorial, tribal, and federal officials who create and implement the highest quality codes and standards to protect us where we live, work, and
play. It's a long one. Wow. It must mean it's really important, and it is. Uh whereas these modern building codes and standards include safeguards to protect the public from hazards such as hurricanes, we don't have those thankfully, uh snowstorms, tornadoes, wildland
fires, floods, and earthquakes. And whereas building safety month reminds us of these protectors of public safety, our code officials who assure us of safe, sustainable, and affordable buildings that are essential to our prosperity. And whereas built to last is the theme for building safety month in 2026, it
and it encourages us all to get involved and raise awareness about building safety on a personal, local, and global scale. And whereas each year in in observance of building safety month, people all over the world are asked to consider the commitment to improve building safety, resilience, economic
and economic investment at home and in the community. And to acknowledge the essential service provided to all of us by local, state, tribal, territorial, and federal building safety and fire prevention departments in protecting lives and property. Therefore, I, Kevin Zabel, mayor of Oakdale, Minnesota, do hereby proclaim the month May 2026 as
Building Safety Month in the city of Oakdale. Uh for any growing city like Oakdale, you know, we have a a lot of new buildings going up all around us. It further emphasizes the importance um that these uh dedicated staff members play uh in making sure that all all buildings
in our community are safe for its inhabitants, its workers. Um obviously, safety is the top priority uh for any city, and um our entire team here at the city of Oakdale do absolutely amazing work with a lot of work on their plate at any given moment
um making sure everybody remains safe. Uh the second proclamation is recognizing mental health awareness month. Whereas mental health is an an essential component of overall well-being, shaping our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and influencing
our ability to cope with life's challenges, build meaningful relationships, and pursue our goals and dreams. And whereas mental health awareness month provides an opportunity to raise awareness, promote understanding, and reduce stigma surrounding mental illness, encouraging open dialogue, compassion, and support for individuals
living with mental health conditions and their families. And whereas mental health affects people of all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life, and addressing mental health needs is essential for fostering resilience, promoting recovery, and improving the quality of life for individuals, families, and communities.
And whereas mental health awareness month highlights the importance of access to mental health care and support services, advocating for equitable access to treatment, resources, and interventions that address the diverse needs of individuals experiencing mental health challenges. And whereas mental
health awareness month celebrates the resilience and strength of individuals living with mental illness, recognizing their courage, determination, and achievements in overcoming obstacles, seeking help, and embracing hope and healing. And whereas mental health awareness month serves as a call to action for individuals, communities, and
policy makers to prioritize mental health and well-being, invest in prevention, early intervention, and support services, and work together to create a more inclusive, compassionate, and supportive society. Therefore, I, Kevin Zabel, mayor of Oakdale, Minnesota, do hereby proclaim the month of May 2026 as Mental Health
Awareness Month in the city of Oakdale. Oakdale is incredibly fortunate to have community-based resources for those seeking support in mental health from Canvas Health right here in Oakdale to the incredibly talented and dedicated
professionals in School District 622. Um you know, private public partnerships are in every corner of the city to make sure that mental health supports are available. Here at the city of Oakdale, we're incredibly proud to be rolling out
mental health supports within our police response through the Oakdale Police Department later this summer. Something new for us, but not new for a number of cities across the metro. Those cities have seen tremendous success in addressing the mental health needs of people in their communities, and we are beyond excited
to bring that program here to Oakdale. Um and and expand our mental health support system for those that need it. So, a timely reminder as we recognize mental health awareness month in our community. Uh still under open forum tonight. If there's anybody in the audience joining
us that would like to chat with council um about anything that's on your mind, please feel free to step up to the podium, state your name and address for the record, and proceed with your comments. Seeing none, we'll move into consensus motions. Uh council members, we have A through G in front of us tonight. Um are
there any that we need to pull for individual consideration? Hearing none, can I get a motion? Make a motion to approve consensus motions A through G as presented. There's a motion. Is there a second? Second. Motion and second. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? And those
motions are adopted. Now is the time on the agenda where we check in with our advisory boards and commissions. The only one that met since our last meeting was the Parks and Rec Commission. They met on Didn't we have a meeting since then? No, it's this one. Wow. My calendar is all off. They met on
April 21st. Council member Morcom, you are their liaison. How is our Park and Rec Commission doing? Doing great. And not only did we meet, but we met outside. It was great. Got to see You know what? Um just observationally, we like to meet in parks when we can, and the commission is going to be meeting in
a number of parks over the summer. Um the number of kids under the age of 18 that came by on motorized bikes, motorized scooters, it is a new reality. And just to see how many people use the trails and parks even just around City Hall was really uh really cool. But we
talked about the naming of the new park in the south of Oakdale that's coming up. So, some good ideas on what they think would be a good fit for the city, but more to come, and that was really the primary focus for our meeting. Very cool. Uh let's move on to award of bids. Uh we
got a couple items in front of us tonight. Do we have a staff presentation? Mr. Bachmeier, welcome. Good evening, Mayor and Council. Uh before you this evening, we have uh looking for Council action on approving two contracts for the 2026 improvement projects. The
first contract is for three projects that we bundled together, the 2026 improvement project, the Tanners Lake South Parking Lot Resurfacing Project, and then also the 2028 mill uh 2026 mill and overlay project. Uh we did open bids on April 16th after
publicly advertising and collecting the bids, five contractors uh submitted uh bids for that work with Birch Hill Construction providing the low bid of two mill uh $6,206,000 $687.80. The second contract that we opened was
for the Greenway Avenue sidewalk improvements. We had 11 contractors that submitted bids for that work with Park Construction providing uh the low bid of 400,000 uh 11,626 dollars.
Uh these two quotes came in slightly under the engineer's estimate and slightly over the CIP budget amount. So, we are requesting, I think, approximately a 1% adjustment in the CI budget to provide sufficient contingency for these two projects. Uh the
recommendation is to award these two contracts, authorize uh the engineering management contract that goes along with these projects, and also amend the budget. With that, I stand for any questions the council may have. Council members, any questions for Brian?
All right. Let's move into the action items. Who wants to get us started? Move we waive reading and adopt resolution 2026-26 awarding the bid for city projects R2026-01 2026 street reconstruction. I read the
whole thing man. R2026-02 2026 street overlay and P2026-03 Tanner's Park South parking lot repaving authorizing construction related engineering services and amending the 2026 budget. >> There's a motion is there a second?
Second. Motion and second final comments. All those in favor say I. I. Opposed and resolution 2026-26 is adopted. Next item. Move we wave reading and adopt resolution 2026-27
awarding the bid for Greenway Avenue sidewalk from Hudson Boulevard to 7th Street North included as part of the city project R2026-01 to Park Construction Company in the amount of $411,626. There's a motion is there a second? Second. Motion and second
any comments? I want to make a comment on this one. This trail on Greenway Avenue has been in the works for a very very long time included a lot of public feedback over the years. We are very grateful to
federal government right they gave us the grant to pay for this project. It is it is completing a huge gap in our sidewalk and trail network in this city connecting Hudson Boulevard all the way
up to 7th Street which has been I mean unfortunately we've had people hit on that street over the years and such a finally get this trail connection in is a is a huge kudos for Oakdale and I know one that residents who live along that very busy stretch will appreciate and
enjoy. Motion and second all those in favor say I. I. Opposed and resolution 2026-27 is adopted. Last one. Move we authorize the mayor and city administrator to sign engineering service contracts with SEH construction
related engineering services in total amount not to exceed $511,301. There's a motion is there a second? Second. Motion and second final comments. All those in favor say I. I. Opposed and that authorization is given. All right thank you Brian. Where did he
go? There he is. >> [laughter] >> He just got away real fast. Let's move into staff reports tonight. Community Development has a couple items in front of us. Mr. Getslaf welcome. Good evening mayor council Andy Getslaf
community development director. The first item before you is the acceptance of a grant award in the amount of $2,000 from the Minnesota Economic Development Foundation. This grant would be to pay for a portion
of the salary for a seasonal intern within the community development department. The staff person would assist this summer with planning and economic development projects engagement activities and conducting background [clears throat] research. As part of the
grant the intern will also be invited to participate in the leading interns network and knowledge cohort hosted by the foundation which brings interns together once a month to collaborate and build their networks.
Financially um with the grant award it is council action is required to accept accept that grant award tonight. Council members any questions for Andy? All right can I get a motion? I'll move we wave reading and adopt
resolution 2026-24 accepting community internship grant award in the amount of $2,000 from the Minnesota Economic Development Foundation to the city of Oakdale. There's a motion is there a second? Second. Motion and second final comments. All those in favor say I. I. Opposed
and that resolution is adopted. One more item. Thank you mayor the next item is amendments to the zoning code for recreational vehicle storage. This item went to council workshop on January 27th of this year where council discussed
providing some greater flexibility for residential storage of recreational vehicles. Four changes were recommended from that process. One was to increase the number of RVs allowed on a lot from one to four. Second was removal of
setback exemptions based on time of year opting instead for a universal setback of 15 feet from the curb. Removal of the hard surface requirement if if vehicles are parked in the side or rear yard and clarification that
recreational vehicles must be free of leaking hazardous fluids. As a point of clarity the code already requires that those vehicles be licensed and operable as well. The city attorney
has reviewed this ordinance. It also went to planning commission where a public hearing was held. Public hearing is required because it is amendment to an amendment to the the zoning ordinance. Besides a clarification on an interpretation there was um
no additional comments at that hearing. Commission recommended approval of the ordinance. And I'm happy to take any questions before you move into the requested action. Council members any questions for Andy?
So council members council member Moore and I are having a little conversation up here. I think we still have some questions on some of the language in there. You know you you may recall my rule has always been if a council member needs more time or wants to iron something out
we will honor that and take it back to workshop and continue working with it. And so I think the the path forward is maybe tabling this one scheduling some time at our next workshop and then planning on bringing it back two meetings from now the second meeting in May if that works for
everybody. Um Do you want me to make the motion? I think you should. >> All right. So council members I'm going to make a motion to table uh ordinance number 961 until the May 26th 2026 meeting. I'll second that. Motion and second all
those in favor say I. I. Opposed and we're going to lay that over or table it until the last meeting in May. Council members please get Chris any of the questions you have so she can kind of formulate the conversation at our workshop in two weeks. Sound like a plan? All right. Thank you Andy sorry last
minute curveball. >> [laughter] >> It was either that or trying to tweak the language on the fly so >> [laughter] >> and there's a hockey game so you know we're being realistic okay. Let's check in with our city attorney. Mr. Thompson what do you have for us tonight? Mr. Mayor members of council I
don't want to interfere in any hockey game so I don't have any report [laughter] tonight. Anybody have any questions for Jim? All right let's look to our right and check in with our city administrator. Chris anything for us tonight? Mr. Mayor city council I do not unless you have any questions for me. Anybody have any
questions for Chris? Seeing none. All right let's move into council presentations. Anybody want to go first? Look down here. How about over here? All right I got a number of them. I should probably read through this real quick.
Okay first and foremost let's look back to this past Saturday. I want to thank everybody that came out and took part in our Pete Grascke Arbor Day tree giveaway. It was a little rainy but always great when residents show up and claimed 200 trees to be planted in our community. Also a big thank you to
all of those that attended the second annual Eco Fair at Castle Elementary. The clothing swap that the that was hosted for the first time was an absolute smashing success. So very cool that I think 2700 pounds
was the final figure of the the amount of clothes that was that were donated for that event. Not sure how many were were claimed and given new homes but we know a lot were. I also want to offer a very big thank you to Hannah Dunn on our community development team for organizing the Eco Fair and all staff that had a hand in
that. Our Environmental Management Commission this Eco Fair was it was their baby a couple years ago that they wanted to put forward and each and every member of that commission has stepped up to to really contribute and make that event a huge success. So a big thank you to them
as well. And then for the Pete Grascke Arbor Day tree giveaway a big thank you to public works and the fire department for letting us use their space up on the north end. Every year that event just gets better and better more efficient. Cannot say enough good things about it.
So it's really always nice to to celebrate our commitment to the environment with those two events and have everything just go absolutely smoothly which is great. So Council members anybody want to add any comments on those items specifically? I also thank all the city staff and everybody
you know like there's such a huge lift right? So it was it was wonderful so much fun and people are so they so much gratitude as I drive through and thank us profusely before they go dig their hole with in the rain. in the rain yeah. [laughter]
It's my understanding that some volunteers helped with the sorting of clothes and that that clothing swap so thank you to those folks as well. That was a big lift. A lot of volunteers which is great and our staff I mean to to organize an idea
that we've never done before. Yeah we can look at other cities and how they do it but to just take it and run with it. I mean I remember walking into that that was that their cafeteria? I guess it was. And everything was just so well laid out. I mean anybody that had never been to one of those events could walk in the
door and immediately know where they wanted to go to find something like Council member Rich and I went in at 11:40 and the volunteers working in the desk told us that 185 people had gone in to the clothing swap area by 11:40. So
cool. Um yeah, really popular. Um I also want to say a thank you to our um non-government partners. I know city staff reached out to the school district to get the word out if there were kids in the schools that need some clothing, this was a great opportunity. Um you know, we all know kids grow out of
clothes lightning quick. Um so to have some uh options that you know, um help the family budget was also just a cool opportunity. So a big thank you to 622 for their help in that as well. Uh finished one weekend of big events, and we're going to roll right into another. This Saturday, May 2nd, is a
huge day for the city of Oakdale. Uh it is the official grand opening of our brand new uh public works facility located at 3200 Granada Avenue North. Um we want to welcome everybody out there. Join us for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:30 a.m. followed by walking tours of the facility every 30 minutes until the
event concludes at 1:00 p.m. Uh we can't tell you how excited we are for this. Um for many years now, we we have known that our current public works campus uh we was bursting at the seams. Um our crews have done everything they could with the space and the resources they
had available there. Um but many, many years ago, um we had to start thinking about what Oakdale in the future looked like and how um we could support our public works crews in providing the the services that our residents know and love in this community. And so, um through a lot of a
lot of work, a lot of voter support, um you know, two trips to the ballot for the local option sales tax that paid for this project, um you know, partners like 3M who donated the land, um so much technical expertise that went into the design and the
construction of this building, um our absolutely fantastic city staff, uh city administrator Volkers um leading the charge, making sure everybody most importantly stayed on budget. We appreciate that. Um but also making sure that, you know, we're building a
facility that is for the next generation of Oakdale, meeting not only the needs we have now, but anticipating the needs we're going to have in the future. Um so, all are welcome to attend on Saturday, May 2nd. Please join us. No RSVP required. We hope to see you out there. The weather looks great. Take a
tour. Um you're going to see some absolutely cool things in that building, things that, you know, we would never even think of, but our our crews have thought about it, our contractors have thought about it. Um that will truly be a a pretty big day for Oakdale. So we hope you can join us.
The Maplewood-Oakdale Lions Club will host uh once again host uh the citywide garage sales this year, May 14th, which is my birthday, if anybody wants to go hit up garage sales with me. Uh May 14th through the 16th. Uh registration is free, but the Lions Club asks that you register your sale with them by Friday,
May 1st, at 8:00 a.m. Uh typically, they put together a list of all of the sales that have registered around the city, so you can plan your time wisely. Uh for more information, please visit the Maplewood-Oakdale Lions Club Facebook page, um and you can uh find the link to register on there.
The annual community shred event is set for Saturday, May 9th, uh from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. in the northeast parking lot at City Hall, 1584 Hadley Avenue North. It is a great way to dispose of confidential documents for free. The limit is 10 bags or two boxes. Once
again this year, a a huge thank you to the Eberhardt Group Real Estate uh for providing this opportunity for our community. Larry, where'd Larry go? Where is he? There he is. Oh, he moved. Uh thank you to you and your team for um once again hosting this event. I will be bringing many, many bags and
boxes. >> [laughter] >> There's been a lot of paper in my house, so. Uh in addition to the completion of the public works facility, you know, we go from one we finish one project, we start another, cuz that's what we we got to do. Um construction for the expansion on the police department and the remodel of
the police department and City Hall will begin in June. What this means is um well, the short version is we're shutting the building down. Um we're getting everybody out because we don't want uh city staff and members of the public to have to navigate a construction zone. So, that means all
city services will be going elsewhere during the construction period, which we estimate will be about 18 months. Uh police lobby services, well, the entire police department will move to Fire Station 2, located at 6633 15th Street North, um including police lobby services. Uh
in-person City Hall services like paying your utility bill, getting a permit, um will move to the new public works facility, 3200 Granada Avenue North. Uh we have a webpage set up on the city website, oakdalemn.gov, with all of the dates and times that services will be
moving. We have a lot of signage here at City Hall. Um we have signage out by the the USPS box and the the free little library in in the parking lot, because those will be moving as well. Keep an eye out for those uh blue and white signs. Um or, like I said, go to our city website
uh and check out that information. Uh the next one we are particularly proud of. Uh the city of Oakdale has finalized a partnership with the Washington County Community Development Agency to offer financial assistance through two grant and loan programs eligible uh to home buyers and
homeowners. First, the First Generation Home Buyer Program provides up to $10,000 in grants for eligible residents to purchase a home in Oakdale. Um we we all know the cost of housing is out of reach for so many these days. Um and to have this grant opportunity available to
help um take a little bit of the sting out of that that first time home uh is a is a tremendous thing, and Oakdale's excited to take part. Uh the the second program is the city is participating in the Repair and Renovate Program. Homeowners are eligible for up to $10,000 in forgivable loans to make
critical home repairs. So that, you know, that includes anything from uh an out-of-date and failing furnace uh to uh cracked windows, uh leaky roof. Um but we're also incredibly excited that this includes uh tree removal when a
tree uh poses a risk to the home or to infrastructure. Um this is the first time that we have had um a a pot of money in this city to help residents with the the high cost of tree removal, which we all know um there are a lot due to emerald ash borer in our community.
Um more information about these programs and eligibility requirements can be found on the city website, oakdalemn.gov. Um the last one, I'm not going to get choked up, but uh this is a big this is a big meeting for the city of Oakdale. This is our last city council meeting in
these chambers. As I mentioned, we're all moving out as part of the construction project. Um you know, for me, I have had the the honor of serving in this room with some truly uh talented and incredible people for over a decade now, from the planning commission and as
a council member, and now as mayor. Um it's really awe-inspiring when you think of the number of residents that have come through this building to serve this community, whether on an advisory body, um in elected office, staff members, um or even just residents stepping up to
the podium during open forum to to tell us about what's on their mind or some, you know, share an idea of what we can fix in this community. Um to move out out of this space is a little sad, because, you know, you know, Honeycomb is a very 1990s thing, but this is our Honeycomb, okay?
And to to sit up here and serve our community um for for decades, you know, that that government has served in this chamber. Um we we've done a lot of good. We've not always gotten it right sometimes. Um we have rolled with the punches, and we have
navigated pandemics and everything in between. Um but this room has for decades now stood as a symbol of getting the work done in this community, and the commitment to getting that work done does not change, even though we're moving out. Um for the city council, we'll be moving up to the Discovery
Center. Um we will be governing off of folding tables for the next year and a half. Uh and you know what, frankly, we're excited about it, because um it just goes to show that the business of this city and the services that this uh the the amazing staff in this city
provide um can weather displacement, construction zones, um being outside of our comfort zone, and everything in between. And so, um you know, at the end of the night, we're going to shut the lights off, and we're going to start a new chapter for Oakdale, which is pretty exciting, but um
as always, anybody can reach out to city staff or their elected officials, you know, email, phone call. Uh it doesn't matter where we govern, we're always available uh to support this community. So, that's the last chapter for this room. Council members, let's pay some bills,
cuz, you know, we have to. Um we have a claims roster in front of us tonight, April 15th, 2026 through April 28th, 2026, in the amount of 1.8 million in change. Any bills that we need to pull out for additional information? All right, seeing none. Can I get a motion to approve? I motion to approve
claims as presented. There's a motion. Is there a second? Second. Motion and a second. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Opposed. Bills are paid. Ooh. Ooh. I mean, we could like just not adjourn, and then we could [laughter] stay here. We could stay here forever.
And nobody wants to Okay, can I get a motion to uh adjourn? So moved. There's a motion. Is there a second? Second. Motion and a second. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Opposed. And for the last time at 1584 Hadley, we are adjourned.
Anything else you want to do? Yep.